2019 GAME CENSUS FOR HWANGE NATIONAL PARK AND SURROUNDING AREAS Compiled and Produced by Wildlife & Environment Zimbabwe Matabeleland Branch WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT ZIMBABWE - For Environmental Awareness - Bulawayo. Zimbabwe GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE 2019 HWANGE GAME CENSUS (Elevation 1034m: Latitude 19.1240539: Longitude 26.59259129999998) This year’s 50th 24-hour Static Pan Census, took place from 1200hrs 13th to 1159hrs 14th October, 2019. We had assistance from 343 participating members, making up 94 teams: in comparison, in 2018 we had 91 teams and in 2017 89 teams and 83 in 2016. The teams were deployed throughout the Park and Safari Lodge/Forestry Areas: 51 in the Main Camp Area (with two teams at Dopi Pan), 18 in the Sinamatella Area, 19 in the Robins Area and 6 in the Safari Lodge/Forestry Area: in comparison with 2018, 56 teams were deployed in the Main Camp Area (with two teams at Dopi Pan), 11 in the Sinamatella Area, 17 in the Robins Area and 7 in the Safari Lodge/Forestry Areas. The Aerial Survey to establish the water situation on the ground for pan allocation purposes, was carried out 4th to 6th October, one week prior to the census. Of the 257 water points earmarked for the flyover, covering the Safari Lodge/Forestry area and the Park itself, 163 had water, a percentage of 63%, which overall is a fair picture regards life giving water for the animals of this Park: we mention fair as all waterholes were under tremendous pressure this year by the number of elephants which had come in from Botswana seeking water: the pumps were not coping with this pressure and resulted in many waterholes, on the whole at low levels, being reduced to mud or little muddy pools. The flight over the Main Camp section, through the Wilderness and Imvelo Concessions and down to the southern end of the Park, revealed that 51 of 76 water-holes had water: the flight over the middle section of the Park revealed that 22 out of 65 water-holes had water and at the top end of the Park through to the Robins section, 72 out of 85 water points had water. Going by the sheer size of Hwange National Park, 14,540 sq. km, you will understand that it is logistically impossible for us to cover every water source during the 24hr census, therefore our aim is to count at least at all our traditional water-holes for data collection purposes. For the Aerial Survey we thank Parks for their assistance with this survey and Pat Cox and our WEZ coordinators - Pat has carrying out this particular survey for us for 27 years now and you will understand that we would have a real problem on our hands without Pat when it comes to allocating pans to our teams, particularly in the more remote areas of the Park and for this we are hugely grateful. Weather conditions reported by our teams over the 24hr census period, was that it was clear, hot and sunny – cooler at night: intermittent winds and gusts during the day, but on the whole, mostly still at night. There was limited haze on the whole, thus good viewing by moonlight. Average temperatures recorded over the Park were 32.9 (12:00H), 35 (15:00H), 32.2 (18:00H), 25:4 (21:00H), 23.1 (00:00H) 19.2 (03:00H), 18:2 (06:00H), 28.3 (09:00H) and 34.6 (11:59H). Of interest at 15:00H a sweltering high of 53.0 was recorded at Shapi Pan dropping to 19.3 at 06:00H: and at Kennedy One a low of 10.5 was recorded at 03:00H. On the 13th October the sun set at 17.55H with the moon rising at 17:41H: and on the 14th the moon set at 05:52H with the sun coming up at 05:28H. Dom Pan Sunset Danga Pan Moonrise (Photos M. Fulat) Of a possible 111 mammal species in Hwange National Park (189 species total Zimbabwe), this year 42 species were observed, 44 species last year: and of interest, a high number of 48 species was recorded in 2008. The most species recorded during the census were 21 at Samavundhla Pan in the Main Camp Area and the least number 3 at Manzichisa in the Robins Area and Bumbusi Hide in the Sinamatella Area. The highest number of animals recorded during the census were 2956 at Masuma in the Sinamatella Area – 1251 Buffalo and 1169 Elephant making up this number – least animals recorded during the census were 63 animals at Manzichisa in the Robins area (with 3 species). Out of the total of 63219 animals, 39946 were recorded in the Safari Lodge/Forestry and Main Camp Area (63%). Page 2/- Some of the more interesting sightings recorded this year and in no particular order were:- CHEETAH Main Camp Area: Kennedy One (C. Engelbrecht) – not recorded on the count. Sinamatella Area: Camp Hwange (R. Harrison) – not recorded on the count. CIVET Sinamatella Area: Camp Hwange 1/U. Gurangwenya 2/U. Inyantue 2/U. Mafa’’s Pan 1/U. Thors pan 1/U. Robins Area: Dililo 1/U. Little Toms 1/U. Mbejane 1/U. SM. SP. GENET Sinamatella Area: Gurangwenya 1/U. LEOPARD Main Camp area: Mandiseka 1/U 2100hrs (P. Saunders). Madison 1/U 1955hrs (H. Gaston). 2/U Samavundla 2132hrs and 2215hrs (R. Forster). Chris’s Pan 2/U 1850hrs (G. Macdonald). Nehimba Lodge 1/U (spotted by film crew 0310hrs). Robins Area: Salt Pan 1/U 0735hrs (T. Park). Mahoboti 1/U 0300hrs (S. Bowman. Manzimbomvu 1/U 0515hrs (T. Kruger). Sinamatella Area: Tshompane 00:08hrs 1/U (B. Wallace). AARDWOLF Main Camp Area: 1/U Samavundla. BROWN HYAENA Main Camp Area: 1/U Scotts (2358hrs) WILD DOG Main Camp Area: Wexcau 4/U (2050hrs) (S. Crabbe). Sinamatella area: Gurangwenya 2/U (L. Kruger). Mashambo 2/U 3/J (P.Mundy). Tshompane Dam 3/M 1/F 6/U 5/J (B. Wallace). PORCUPINE Main Camp Area: 1/U Ngamo. 1/U Ostrich Pan: AARDVAARK Main Camp Area: 1/U (2352hrs) Secheche. KLIPSPRINGER Robins Area: 1/U Manzichisa. TSESSEBE Robins Area: 6/F Dililo. 1/M 3/F Deka Home Vlei. 1/M 1/F L. Toms. Reedbuck Vlei 11/U. LION: 122 were recorded this year at 22 pans, 110 last year: of interest:- Main Camp Area – Scotts (A. Tshipa) 1/M 8/F. Ostrich (K. Stewart) 1/M 2/F. Mbiza 1/F with cubs (J. Drazdik). Nyamandhlovu (B. Wilson) 1/M. Dom (A. Mayers) 3/F (1 collared). Shapi (G. Amyot) 1/M. Dopi 1 (D. Stephens) 3/F 1/M. Sinanga (G. Lightfoot) 3/M 2/F (F collared) – mated several times. Ngweshla (L. King) 2/M 3/F 6/Y. Manga 1 (S. McMinn) 1/M. Manga 3 (C. Sellick) 2/U. Danga (M. Fulat) 1/M 4/F M/F- (mating). Nehimba Lodge (K. Learmonth) 5/F 1/M 1/U. Grannies (P.Kendall) 1/F 1/Y. Sinamatella Area – Camp Hwange 1/M 3/F (R. Harrison). Inyantue Dam 6/U. (R. Cunningham).Mafa’’s Pan 1/M (D. Jones). Mandavu West 1/M 3/F 2/J (P. Du Plessis). Masuma 2/M 8/F 6/J (E. Wessels). Robins Area – Big Toms 2/M 3/F (B. Kok). Chingahobe Dam 1/M 2/F 5/J (D. Wassung). Manzimbomvu 5/M 4/F (T. Kruger). GIRAFFE: This year 189 Giraffe were recorded during the census, last year there were 166 (since 2001 when 411 Giraffe were recorded there has been over a 40% decline in numbers). Giraffe were recorded at a total of 42 pans throughout the Park and Safari Lodge/Forestry area: for your interest, 8 Giraffe were recorded in the Safari Lodge/Forestry area, 135 in the Main Camp area (with good number … 6 at Dopi, 8 at Jambile, 18 at Kennedy One, 13 at Makwa, 31 at Ngamo, 6 at Tshebe Tshebe and 7 at Umtshibi), 20 in the Sinamatella area and 26 in the Robins area (with 11 at Deteema Dam). WEZ has been concerned about the decline in numbers of Giraffe for a number of years now and interestingly enough, the IUCN, the body that administers the world’s official endangered species list, has recently announced that it was moving the Giraffe from a species of Least Concern to Vulnerable Status. That means that the Giraffe faces extinction in the wild in the medium term future if nothing is done to minimize the threats to its life or habitat. Worldwide, Giraffe numbers have dropped by 60000 individuals (40%) in the last 30 years - they are undergoing a silent extinction! As one of the world’s most iconic animals, it is timely that we “stick our neck” out for the Giraffe before it is too late. Perhaps the best and only answer is that both poaching and habitat encroachment need to be stopped to save the Giraffe. HIPPOPOTAMUS: Hippo are large semi-aquatic mammals, living for around 40 years and they are considered the second largest land mammal on Earth (first place goes to the Elephant). Males measure around 3.5m long and 1.5m tall, and can weigh up to 3,200kg. To stay cool in the blistering African heat, hippos spend most of their day in rivers and lakes and in this Park in pans and dams suited to their way of life. Hippos are most active at night, when they forage for food. They are herbivores and in one night can guzzle down up to 35kg, therefore Hippos not only need a good bathing spot, but also an area which has ample forage close-by.